C6 Communication Therapy Three

Back in the store, Liu Xu couldn't suppress his smugness as he caught the mix of astonishment and admiration in the eyes of the young ladies nearby.

He flicked the one thousand yuan in his hand and let out a sly chuckle. Aiming to build rapport with his new colleagues, he began in a teasing tone, "So, I was thinking of treating you all to a meal..."

Before he could finish, the money was swiftly plucked from his grasp. Hsu Xiaoyue had seized it while he was caught off guard.

"...Ms. Hsu, what's this about?" Liu Xu asked, dumbfounded, as he watched Hsu Xiaoyue flaunt the cash. "I worked hard for this money, and I even helped your store out of a jam. I get it if you're not grateful, but to snatch the money, too?"

Unfazed, Hsu Xiaoyue just grinned, holding the money with delight. "Look, now that you're officially on the team, the consultation fee naturally goes to the store. But don't worry, I'm not going to shortchange you."

She pulled out a hundred-yuan note and handed it to Liu Xu. "From now on, for treatments that don't cost anything, I'll give you a ten percent commission. Fair, right? I'm pretty generous, don't you think?"

Liu Xu couldn't help but think of the old saying about beautiful women being wicked as he watched his earnings shrink from one thousand to one hundred yuan, muttering to himself in frustration.

"Hey, Liu Xu, how did you pull that off earlier?" Unable to contain her curiosity, Huang Ziqi edged closer and nudged his arm. "Do tell."

"And I was totally mesmerized," chimed in another girl, nodding eagerly with a look of intrigue. "Could you show us how?"

Basking in the attention of a group of girls seeking his guidance, Liu Xu's spirits soared, and his earlier irritation vanished.

He was about to brag when he remembered his duties. With a clever glint in his eye, he cleared his throat and shared, "Actually, it's quite straightforward. If you genuinely engage with the pets, with time and dedication, you'll be able to do it just like me."

"The easiest method is simply to clean their cages, earning their gratitude. Then, spend more time talking to them. Eventually, you'll start to pick up on your pets' thoughts."

He delivered these lines with a straight face, unflinching and earnest, as if he were imparting some profound secret.

His solemn expression significantly swayed the female shop assistants' judgment. They exchanged glances and, without waiting for him to finish, scurried off to the backyard, intent on washing the pet cages.

Liu Xu, smug about his successful ruse, let out a sly chuckle and comfortably settled into a chair.

Xiaoyue, watching from the side, rolled her eyes, clearly having seen through Liu Xu's ploy: "Pretty clever, aren't you? You've got the beauties in my shop wrapped around your finger, and it's only your first day. You're not as sharp as me, but you're not half bad."

Liu Xu found her self-promotion exasperating and chose to ignore it.

But Xiaoyue was persistent. She approached him and pressed, "Hey, come clean with me. How exactly did you pick up this trick?"

Liu Xu smirked, "I could tell you, but then you'd have to give me back the money you took."

Xiaoyue flirtatiously glared at Liu Xu, then securely tucked the money back into her pocket, patting it affectionately as if it were her prized possession. "Never mind, I don't need to know that badly."

"Cheapskate," Liu Xu muttered contemptuously.

It was then that a system alert appeared out of nowhere.

"You have earned the gratitude of a pet and the gratitude of a pet owner."

Liu Xu paused, puzzled. What was this 'pet owner's gratitude'? Was it related to the young man's thankfulness towards me?

And what good was it, anyway?